With all the events taking place in Monterey, California every August, the Russo and Steele event is a must go. It is much smaller than the Scottsdale auction but it is certaintly Monterey styled for the VIPs. Nonetheless, there were over 150 cars running over the auction block for a combined total of over $10 million in sales.
The biggest sale was a beautiful metallic blue 1973 LAMBORGHINI MIURA P400 SV, chassis number #5096, sold for a record breaking $962,500! It was the ninth-from-last Miura built, and spent only three of its 28-year life on the road - the rest of the time it has been in various warehouses and garages. It was the very last production number and was supplied to Lamborghini Great Britain.
The second winner at $764,500, was a 1954 MERCEDES BENZ 300 SL with matching numbers and its original tool kit intact and all receipts for the restoration efforts.
The third place is a very high pedigree 1965 Shelby GT350R that went for $660,000. It looks like a mustang, but apparently it is one of 36 factory prepared competition models and is recognized by Shelby enthusiasts as the preeminent example of this highly collectible mark.
But my favorite sale was an honorable 1976 yellow Lamborghini Countach L sold for a whopping $533,500! Who would have ever thought that a used Countach would sale for more than $100k. But if you think about it, those cars were terrible to drive but terrific lookers. The beauty of this beast was the only reason why it sold in the first place. The Countach was the fastest supercar on the road for quite some time. More importantly, it looked better than anything else on the road. So when you think about what car from the 70’s you’re gonna put in your museum to simply look good, the Countach is the way to go. These beauties will most likely be worth more than a million before 2010! Start stocking up now, as the late 70’s Countach usually goes for under $90k on eBay (when you can find someone crazy enough to claim ownership).
PS: I had a Countach poster in my bedroom in the 70’s :)
